Newly Found 65 Giant Assam Sandstone Jars May Have Contained Cremated Remains Used for Ancient Burials

Researchers recently discovered mysterious giant stone jars in India that may have been used for prehistoric burial practices. According to a BBC News report, the 65 sandstones were found scattered over four areas in the north-eastern state of Assam.

They differ in size and shape, and some of these jars are cylindrical and tall, while the others are partially or completely buried in the ground. Similar stone vessels have been found previously in Indonesia and Laos. The details of the new find, which involved researchers from three universities in Australia and India, were published this week, in a journal.

A 'Bit of a Mystery'

The research, published in the Journal of Asian Archeology, was led by Tilok Thakuria from North-Eastern Hill University and Uttam Bathari from Gauhati University.

Researcher Nicholas Skopal, from the Australian National University, who was part of the research team, said they still do not know who made the gigantic jars, or where they lived. Describing the discovery, the researcher said, it is "all a bit of a mystery."

Even though it is still unclear what the giant stone jars were used for, the study investigators believe they were possibly linked to mortuary practices.

Skopal explained, that there are stories from an ethnic group in north-eastern India called the Naga people, of finding the Assam Jars filled with cremated remains, beads, and other material artifacts.

700 Assam Jars Dating Back to 400 BC

Thakuria told the media company that, at present, the jars are empty, and they were probably covered with lids before. He added that the next step in their project is to dig and extensively document the characteristics of the discovered jars.

According to the researchers, similar sites were found in Assam and neighboring Meghalaya state in the past. Essentially, about ten sites that contain over 700 jars have been unveiled in Assam thus far, said Thakuria adding; they believe the said jars date back to earlier than 400 BC.

The study authors said they had searched in a very limited site in Assam and that there are likely to be many more such places out there. They don't know, though, where they are, they reported.

Possibly Used in Ancient Burials

The longer it takes for them to find the jars, Skopal said, the greater their chance to be destroyed as more crops are planted in these sites, and the forests have been cut down.

Moreover, the jars in Laos, revealed in 2016, were believed to have been brought to Xieng Khouang province approximately 2,000 years back.

Researchers discovered three different burial types, which include bones placed in pits with a massive limestone block atop, bones buried in ceramic vessels, and one body in a grave.

The jars' structure and size discovered in Assam and Laos are very similar. There is some variation, though, in terms of size and shape. The jars in Assam are described as bulbous, while those in Laos are more cylindrical, said Mr. Skopal.

Maintaining the Cultural Heritage

A similar Phys.org report said that the "surveying and reporting of these areas" is of great essentiality in managing heritage in India. As explained by Skopal, there are not any living ethnic groups in India linked to jars. Meaning, that there is an essentiality to maintaining the cultural heritage.

The research team worked with local communities on the ground to reveal potential jar areas frequently through sites of mountainous jungle that were hard to navigate.

A report about the discovery of the giant stone jars is shown on The Lost History Channel TKTC's YouTube video below:

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